Episode 11: Account for Murder
by Castle Season 9
Summary: Castle tries to work some magic to give Beckett the Valentine's Day she deserves. Meanwhile, a case of a slain accountant sparks a realization with Kate about her recent behavior.
1. Chapter 1

**Account for Murder**

Season 9, Episode 11

Written by jstar1382

 _This is a work of fiction by writers with no professional connection to ABC network's Castle. Recognizable characters are the property of Andrew Marlowe and ABC. Names, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental._

* * *

Jake trudged out into the cold New York City early morning. An eerie glow of moonlight shone on the slick pavement from the soft drizzle on the streets parking lot connected to his office building was nearly abandoned. He normally hated walking to his car late at night, but tonight his mind was in a fog, exhaustion taking over. He was the last person on his floor to leave, working to finish up the last minute details for the client meeting that he'd begrudgingly have to return for in a few hours.

It was times like these that he wished they had a place to sleep at the office.

Tax season was in full swing which meant long hours, lack of sleep, and time away from friends and family. His mind was sluggish, all thoughts focused on keeping one foot in front of the other on the way to his car.

A subtle click in the distance sliced through the silence of the night, the noise odd enough that it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. When he turned toward the sound he noticed a figure standing in the shadows by a burned-out light post. If he hadn't been so sleep-deprived he probably would've noticed sooner. Or he would've had more time to react.

Panic raced through his veins and a sudden burst of energy swept through his lethargic body, desperate for the sanctuary of his car to call for help. He wasn't a fast runner, even less so after fifteen hours of work. It was too late; flashes of his life, the good and bad, rolled through his thoughts before two blaring shots echoed through the cool morning stillness.

* * *

The sound of his wife's groan of disgust rang through the peacefulness of their bedroom. Castle smiled to himself and took a deep breath before walking from their en suite. He found Kate fidgeting with her latest outfit choice and he gave his best attempt at holding in a laugh. She was adorable when she was frustrated, and even more so when she was seven months pregnant.

"Everything okay?" he asked, easing behind her and wrapping his arm around her midsection to rest his hands against her belly. She leaned into his touch and tilted her head back onto his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered shut as a soft whimper slipped from her lips.

"I hate this," she whined.

"Hate what?"

" _This_ ," she sighed, opening her eyes and waving her hand up and down along her reflection in the floor-length mirror.

"You look beautiful. You've always looked beautiful," Castle said, smiling, before brushing a kiss against her temple. "Plus, you're carrying our child so you're glowing. Now finish getting ready and we can drive together to the precinct. So you can do that thing you do so well and solve some murders."

"Ugh."

"Be your usual, extraordinary self, all while you keep our daughter safe inside your gorgeous body." He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and turned to walk out of their bedroom.

"You make it so hard to complain," she grumbled to herself, but it was still loud enough for him to catch, causing him to chuckle on his way to making her a light breakfast.

"What was that about?"

His head turned toward the voice and he found his mother standing next to their kitchen island, sipping her coffee. He plastered on a smile and sighed.

"Mother, to what do we owe this impromptu visit?" he asked, entering the kitchen and reaching for an empty coffee mug. With Kate's mood this morning, it would be necessary to take extra care in preparing the small caffeine fix she allowed herself each day.

"I was just in the area so I figured, why not drop by-"

"And have free coffee."

"Oh pssh. Sometimes a woman just wants to see her family. Speaking of, what's troubling my daughter-in-law?"

"Shh. Let's not call attention to it," he hushed. "Kate's entered the third trimester and she's having some mood swings."

"But she's typically so level-headed…"

"That was before. _Now_ , all bets are off. Yesterday she teared up in her office when her stapler ran out of staples. Mind you, it was a long day, but still, _staples_."

"Darling, that's just one day. Everyone, even non-pregnant individuals, has those kind of days."

"This morning I was breathing too loud, my shampoo's scent was too strong, and her shower was too hot."

"Sometimes you're a lot to take in the morning. I should know, I raised you," she smirked.

" _Funny_. We both have our quirks. Always have, but we spent an entire weekend away upstate for her birthday in November, and then Hawaii last month, and it was peaceful. It was perfect. She said so herself, but lately - I can't seem to do anything without driving her crazy."

"You've always driven her crazy, dear."

"True, but I don't want to upset her right now. She's having some extra pain from scar tissue in her abdomen, so that coupled with her hormones on overdrive - basically I'm just going to walk on eggshells and turn on the Castle charm, especially since tomorrow is Valentine's Day."

"Castle charm? Versus a pregnant Katherine?" Martha asked with a smirk, taking one last sip from her cup. "All I can say is good luck." She shook her head, squeezed his hand, and walked herself to the door.

* * *

They made it to the precinct without much incident, meaning he still had all of his limbs intact and she hadn't bitten his head off. She knew he was trying to be the perfect husband, but somewhere in that quest for perfection he was getting on her nerves at every turn.

It was the hormones.

 _Obviously_ it was the hormones, because she was madly in love with Castle and had long ago learned to accept and even appreciate his little annoying quirks. At least that had been the case until she entered her third trimester, but now she felt like she wasn't in control of her reactions.

She closed her eyes as soon as they stepped foot into the vacant elevator, and rested her head against the faux wood panel. The air inside the car was stale and humid, completely boiling every inch of her skin.

"It's like an inferno in here, Castle. Why are you standing so close?" she asked, bringing her fingertips to massage the already mounting headache.

"Kate, we could fit a very large person between us. Nothing about our proximity could be described as close."

Her eyes flashed open and she noticed that Castle was clear on the other side of the elevator. She felt her cheeks flush and she was unaware if it was because her entire body was on fire or if it was her slight embarrassment about her outburst.

"Oh. Then why is it so damn hot? I swear I can feel your body radiating heat from here."

"Or the vents are pumping in heat," he explained, easing next to her and lacing his fingers with hers. "It's the dead of winter and it's nearly sub-zero temperatures outside. Everyone but you and the abominable snowman is freezing today."

"It's not that cold outside and right now in this makeshift sauna, it's ungodly hot," she groaned, tugging at the collar of the lightweight maternity sweater that she had recently picked up at one of the little specialty boutiques on Fifth.

Castle looked down at her with a teasing smile as he brushed his lips against her temple. "If this hot flash becomes permanent, I have no problem making an underwear-only rule at home," he chuckled, leaning back just enough for her to see the quick dance of his eyebrows.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you. _Pervert_." She gave his shoulder a shove, stepping past him as the elevator door finally slid open onto the homicide floor.

"Maybe, but you didn't say no," he called out after her.

Turning her head back, she narrowed her eyes as his lips turned into a seductive smile at the thought of the unlikely dress code change. "Correct, but more importantly - I didn't say yes."

* * *

 _Stay tuned for Chapter 2, coming tomorrow!_


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan and Esposito were too fixated on the whiteboard to notice that Castle and Beckett had joined them in the bullpen. The latest victim's picture hung on the corner of the board above a scarce timeline along with a couple of photos from the crime scene.

Not exactly promising, but not unusual for this early in an investigation.

Kate had received the call earlier in the morning that a body had dropped, but since she was trying to avoid crime scenes at this stage, she hadn't heard about the case details yet.

After all, there were _some_ perks to being captain, and not having to run out to crime scenes at all hours of the night was definitely one of them.

"So what do we have?" she prompted after her detectives' silence stretched on far longer than her liking.

"Oh, hey Beckett," Ryan greeted. His eyes darted over to where they were standing, flickering between her and Castle. "And Castle. Something wrong?"

She rolled her eyes while her husband offered them an unnecessary sympathetic shrug. "Only thing that's wrong is the fact that my two detectives have yet to brief me on this homicide."

"Right," Esposito said with a sharp nod, his eyes flashing wide at Castle before returning to her. "Pop and drop found this morning outside of Evan and Associates. Vic's name is Jake Blakely. CPA working late according to the office manager."

"Tis the season," Castle muttered, drawing her attention.

Taxes.

That was the last thing on her mind. She turned toward Castle, arching her eyebrow in question.

"My accountant has everything handled." Thank God he had a person for everything. She no longer had to worry because no matter the mundane requirement, he had someone to take care of it. Maybe she was getting complacent, but at times like this, she was happy to let it slip through the cracks.

She offered him a small smile before being interrupted by a laugh from her detectives. "Care to share with the class?"

"It's just funny," Ryan stated. His jaw snapped shut as her eyes narrowed at him.

" _Funny_?"

"I mean, it's cute. All you have to do is look at Castle and he knows exactly what you're thinking…"

"It's kinda freaky," Esposito corrected, exaggerating a shiver down his spine.

Kate rolled her eyes at the theatrics and cleared her throat. "Once playtime is over, can we talk about any possible leads, please?" Her sight flitted toward the board and the empty space below the word _Suspects_. "Someone was murdered and I'm sure their family would appreciate us solving it rather than discussing my marriage."

Ryan nodded before propping himself against his desk. "Right. Leads."

They had nothing. She could tell.

"None so far," his partner confirmed. No leads and no forward movement. God, this was going to be a long day.

"Okay, well then why don't you do that investigating work that we all love so much and find me some leads. Possibly a suspect while you're at it," she barked. She folded her arms and walked toward the privacy of her office.

"Kate..." her husband called after her, but she wasn't about to turn around.

Esposito muttered, not quite out of her earshot. "I blame you for this, Castle. She wasn't this cranky before you got her pregnant."

She wasn't being unreasonable.

She wasn't.

Right?

* * *

Kate stared down at the mounting paperwork on her desk. She had signed and noted and documented for hours since they'd arrived at the precinct but she didn't feel she had even made a dent in the stack. Her eyes hurt - staring at the fine print on the triplicate forms was making her headache worse than it had been, her hand sore from overuse.

She needed a break. Maybe the criminals in the city could take a short recess until she was back to her old self again. Who would've thought a desk job would be this exhausting while pregnant? It might not be for others. She knew she shouldn't try to still be involved so much outside of her administrative duties and in the nitty-gritty details of cases, but it was in her blood.

At least it used to be.

Maybe this was a reminder. She didn't need to be Super Captain right now; she just needed to stay within the confines of her job description. It was laughable though; when had she ever stayed within her job description?

Her attention flickered around her office, almost reminiscent of Castle's avoidance techniques for when he had a chapter due. He was the best distraction for a boring day, but he wasn't around.

He'd disappeared about an hour ago, mumbling about having errands to run. Even though she missed him now that he was gone, his entire demeanor today was getting on her last nerve, making her feel even worse since all he had tried to do the whole morning was make her happy.

She groaned and dropped her head against one of the thick files. She hoped she would get out of this funk soon. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day and she'd hate if her sour mood ruined the holiday. He didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her poor attitude.

Maybe she should surprise him.

She could do something special to make up for snapping at him all week.

If he wasn't back from his errands by lunchtime, she might be able to swing by the morgue and have Lanie help her plan something. This could work.

Kate toyed with the pen in her hand, thinking of her husband and what she could surprise him with - anything but the documents still needing her attention. It was hopeless.

An unexpected knock tore her from the procrastinating daydream. Ryan stuck his head through the door with a hesitant smile.

"Hey, Beckett. Do you have a second?" The wince etched in his features left a pang of guilt burrowed in her stomach; if he was this nervous to interrupt her with a question, what was her poor husband feeling at this point? Had she really become that miserable to be around?

With a small smile, she offered him a nod and waved him into her office. "What's up?"

"You didn't look happy with the prospect of paperwork all afternoon, so I wanted to see if you wanted to sit in with me while I talked to the co-workers of the victim? Espo is trying to track down his wife, said he'd break the news to her in person."

Easy interview with friends of the victim? Yes. Goodbye, paperwork.

"Yeah, Kev. I could use a break."

"Great, I'll meet you in the conference room."

* * *

Ryan ushered her into the room where three of Jake Blakely's co-workers were seated on the chairs around the table, each of them almost systematically looking down at their watches like they were seriously inconvenienced by their fellow accountant's untimely demise. The rudeness didn't go unnoticed, but she let it go. It took every ounce of restraint she had left to ignore their behavior, but she managed to bite her tongue and swallow the urge. Kate gave the group a quick nod of a greeting before offering her hand to each of them.

"Thanks for coming in today, I'm Captain Beckett and I'm assuming you've already met Detective Ryan," she said, motioning to her detective. "I wish this would be under better circumstances, but we're trying our best to find whoever is responsible for Mr. Blakely's death. Whatever you can tell us about him or his life would be most helpful."

It was a bit of a slow process to get the group to open up about the personal life of their friend and co-worker, but once they did, they were able to connect some dots. He was married with two children, another on the way. They painted a picture of a perfect family and career, until one of the women, Esther Smith, slipped up, earning a glare from the other two.

"They need to know," Esther snapped back at the other two, defending her statement. "His life wasn't perfect. After all, what if she did it?"

"Esther, it's just gossip," Laura Martin explained, turning to face the questioning looks. "He was in the parking lot alone before sunrise. I'm sure it was just random violence."

"Can someone please explain what you're talking about?" Kate asked, her patience wearing thin from the apparent cover-up. These three were moving from innocent character witnesses to persons of interest in a matter of seconds.

Craig Williams's eyes flickered between the two women and took a deep breath before turning back to face her and Ryan. "Jake was having an affair with someone at the office and rumor had it that his wife just found out..." The words spilled from his mouth and everything stopped. Her heart stuttered and a wave of nausea washed through her body. The victim was cheating on his pregnant wife?

The man's lips scowled at the statement. He seemed so distraught over the idea and for the victim's wife. "Anne is a good person, but I overheard a phone call between her and Jake yesterday. It was heated. It's what he deserved for having his cake and eating it too."

"Craig!" Laura reprimanded, a horrified expression mirrored on both her and Esther's faces.

"Like we said, it's all gossip," Esther explained, her head lowering to look at her hands.

Gossip or not, that was one hell of a motive.


	3. Chapter 3

Her stomach grumbled.

She needed to eat and this was the perfect time to have lunch, a much needed chance to clear her head. Luckily, Lanie was free and agreed to meet her at a new little lunch cafe that they were dying to try.

Something about the interview stuck with her, nagging at the back of her mind, but she wouldn't let this case mess with her head. Husbands cheated on their wives all the time, but she knew there was no way Castle would ever cheat on her. The paranoia was the result of her hormones, planting seeds of irrational thought where they were not needed.

Kate was lucky. Castle was a great husband; his only fault lately was annoying her with his exaggerated need to take care of her. Like _that_ was a bad thing.

It wasn't. It was her problem and her problem alone, that every last thing he was doing lately was getting under her skin. He didn't deserve her irritation.

He was trying - really trying - to be good to her. Man, she really owed him, needed to figure out a way to somehow repay his kindness. She needed to surprise him with something tomorrow for Valentine's Day, something unexpected.

Stepping out of the elevator onto the ground floor, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. It was most likely Castle wondering if he could get her anything. Her heart fluttered at the thought; her overly thoughtful yet sweet husband.

When she reached for the device, she was surprised to see Alexis's picture flash onto her screen.

"Hey Alexis, everything okay?" Kate asked, as she pulled her keys from her bag, looking around to locate her car in the parking lot. She was so forgetful lately, a lovely side effect of pregnancy that people had failed to warn her about. Focused on her search, she almost missed the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I just can't get ahold of my dad," Alexis said, words rushed in one breath. "Is he with you?"

Kate stopped in her tracks, suddenly worried by the call, when she spotted her car.

"No, I'm on my way to meet Lanie for lunch," she explained, adjusting her bag back onto her shoulder as she resumed walking. "He left over an hour ago to take care of some errands."

Alexis sighed and released a soft laugh into the phone.

Suspicious.

"Oh, _that's_ right."

" _That's right_? What is he up to?" She hated secrets. Well, maybe not hated, she just wasn't necessarily fond of being out of the loop.

"Kate, he made me promise not to tell." Her tone was light, mocking her. At least she could count on Alexis to not treat her with kid gloves. Finally next to her car, she paused for a second, her mind coming up with a plan.

"I'm sure he did. But how about you join Lanie and me at lunch and I can tempt you?"

She reached forward and pulled open the driver's side door, angling her body behind the wheel and collapsing into her seat. If Alexis wouldn't tell her what Castle was up to, maybe she'd let it slip to a certain ME.

"Lunch sounds good, but his secret is safe with me," Alexis said with a soft laugh.

"Stupid father-daughter bond," she teased. "I'm on the way to Joe's Cafe on 2nd."

"Meet you there, but my lips are sealed."

"Uh huh, we'll see." Kate rested her hand along her stomach, feeling her daughter kick in agreement. "I can't wait til this little one is old enough to keep secrets from both you and your dad."

* * *

Castle stepped into the loft completely discouraged. He had walked around the city for hours, in search of the perfect idea for Kate's Valentine's Day surprise. He had never been this behind before when planning for the holiday, but with their recent vacation and life in general, he had completely lost track of time.

After spending hours aimlessly weaving through the snow-covered streets, he was left feeling frozen and defeated. For years, he had never had issue finding a romantic keepsake or planning the perfect night on the town, but this year any idea left him feeling cliché and shallow. This was _Kate_.

His wife.

His always.

She was carrying his child and deserved far more than diamonds and flowers. He would give her the sun and moon if it were possible, something that mattered as much as she did. This last week had been tough; every day further into her pregnancy the more irrational she became. He was desperately trying to make her happy, but at every turn he was either doing too much or not enough. He used to be so good at reading her, but at this point, he seemed to be completely lost and he hated it.

He needed a miracle.

...a secret weapon.

He needed to call Jim.

* * *

Alexis was already seated next to Lanie by the time Kate managed to find a parking spot and walk - who was she kidding - _waddle_ to the restaurant. She wasn't as big as other pregnant women she'd seen, but her days of power walking were over, at least until after their little one made her grand entrance into this world.

"Alexis was just telling me all about her boyfriend," Lanie said with a knowing smirk as Alexis blushed.

"You didn't find out all about it through the precinct gossip mill?" Kate teased, throwing her coat on top of her bag and sinking down into an empty chair.

"Funny." Alexis rolled her eyes at Kate before turning her attention toward the ME who was barely able to contain herself.

"Don't you look adorable," Lanie cooed, turning toward Kate and trying to hold back a laugh at her expense.

"Call me adorable again and I'm going to smack you."

"Oh girl. Now I know why you called. If you're getting this snarky with me, I can only imagine the load that Castle is getting."

Kate narrowed her eyes on her friend and bit her lip; she had a point, but Alexis nodding out of the corner of her vision only confirmed it. God, her husband was a saint.

"Okay, you're right. It's why you're both here... I might have been getting a little short with him lately."

She watched as Alexis winced and offered her a supportive smile.

"Possibly just a little. _Just recently_. You haven't been bad the entire time," Alexis explained, reaching forward and squeezing her hand. "It's almost like you hit your third trimester and your patience with my dad disappeared."

"Usually he does everything to test my patience..."

"True, but lately. It's more like he's walking on eggshells."

"You're right. I'm awful," she sighed. "I need an idea, but..."

The waiter greeted their table, putting a temporary hold on the conversation as they ordered. Simply chatting with the waiter was distracting enough that they switched topics and started talking about both Lanie and Alexis's love lives. They had almost lost sight of the initial purpose of their lunch until after their meals arrived.

It seemed to dawn on Lanie, so she went back to the task at hand. "The man has everything," she added, between bites of her salad while she was momentarily mesmerized by the size of Kate's turkey club. This place definitely lived up to the hype that had made its way around the precinct.

"He does have everything," Alexis agreed, toying with the straw in her iced tea. "And I don't think he'd want you worrying about buying him something for Valentine's Day."

She had a point. They had a tradition of gestures or homemade trinkets when it came to the typical Hallmark holidays, even though he rarely stuck with that idea.

Castle enjoyed buying things for others, but he also bought a lot for himself. He had an impulsive personality which definitely extended to buying every gadget the second it hit the shelves, which made Christmas and birthdays difficult.

But for Valentine's Day - a gesture would work this year, probably would be for the best.

"Actually, that helps," she said, her lips splitting into a smile.

Alexis beamed at Kate, as her friend looked up from her plate, raising her eyebrow.

" _It does_? Girl, pregnancy really must do crazy things to your mind because how was any part of this conversation helpful?" Lanie asked incredulously and Kate tossed her napkin at her in response.

"Castle's never been about gifts from me. It's about the gesture. So I have the perfect idea to surprise him. Something we haven't done together in a while." She popped a french fry into her mouth and Lanie's eyes grew wide.

"Ooo is this a freaky sex thing?" she asked, leaning closer and Alexis groaned, hiding her head in her hands.

"Lanie, this is my dad we're talking about."

"True," she offered, putting her hand on Alexis's shoulder. "Kate, you'll tell me later if it's a freaky sex thing, right?"

"It's not a freaky sex thing," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at Lanie's idiocy. Apparently whatever love life her friend claimed to have wasn't enough if she was so concerned about Kate's sex life.

"Can we stop saying freaky sex thing in reference to my father?" Alexis pleaded, scrunching her face in a way that made her seem far younger than the twenty-something woman she was. As cute and juvenile as her reaction might be, Kate agreed.

" _Of course_."

"You both need to live a little," Lanie said, spearing a tomato with her fork. Kate shook her head at the grumble from across the table and finished up her sandwich. She knew it was only a matter of time before she'd get called back. Now that she was captain, someone always needed her there.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone buzzed to prove her point. Reaching over, she saw the precinct number flash on her screen and waved the device toward the pair.

"Sorry, I need to take this," she whispered, pulling the phone to her ear. "Beckett."

"We found the wife. We're bringing her in," Ryan said, his voice hesitant. No one ever wanted the scorned spouse to be the killer, but it was always the most logical choice.

"Do we have any evidence to charge her?"

"Not yet, just bringing her in for questioning. I feel for her though. If she knew about the affair? That's earth-shattering enough, but then your husband winds up dead."

His statement left an uneasy fluttering in her chest. It was an awful situation to find yourself in, but this was just another case. Emotions couldn't taint their judgement.

"She could still be a viable suspect," she stated. She hoped she was wrong, but she couldn't let preconceived notions interfere with the truth.

"Could be."

The true victims were the couple's children, and that thought alone made her heart drop entirely. Losing a parent was never easy. She had lost her mother when she was an adult and it had broken her. She couldn't fathom the idea of losing her mother at a younger age. They had learned that the victim's kids were young, so young that they might not even remember their dad by the time they were grown.

It was all heartbreaking.

"Scorned wife or not, if she's the killer she did more than murder her husband. She single-handedly destroyed her own family."

"Hopefully Espo can find out more."

"No. I'm on my way. She's pregnant and emotional. She might be more responsive to me since we're both pregnant." Kate stood up and shrugged on her jacket, shoving the phone into her pocket. "Sorry to cut this short."

"Duty calls," Alexis said, smiling. "I hope everything works out tomorrow."

"Me too." She moved around the table to offer Alexis and Lanie half hugs before rushing out the door.

Or as close to rushing as she could manage...


	4. Chapter 4

"Mrs. Blakely, thank you for coming in. I'm Captain Beckett, this is Detective Esposito," Kate greeted the victim's wife. The woman looked up from her seat as Kate led Esposito into the interrogation room. She appeared both scared and grief-stricken; her eyes were pink and puffy from crying over the loss of her husband - or the reality that she had killed him.

Kate refused to let sympathy for the situation cloud her judgement. The woman was still a suspect for the murder. Looks were definitely deceiving in many instances, her experience had taught her that. She had seen supposedly grieving widows end up being cold-hearted killers numerous times.

"You can call me Anne. Please tell me you have some leads on who killed my husband."

Offering her a slight smile, Kate opened her notebook and scooted her chair in as far as her pregnant belly would allow. She picked up the pen from the table, twirling it between her fingers as she took a deep breath. Schooling every action, she had to push her emotions aside and simply stick to the facts.

"We're looking into every possible angle, Mrs. Blakely," she explained, as Esposito cleared his throat. He suspected her; his stiff posture and narrowed eyes confirmed it. Hopefully he could play it cool and not make the woman apprehensive.

"When was the last time you spoke with your husband?"

"Two days? Maybe three?" Her voice cracked on the last word, each syllable filled with regret. Kate sat quietly, just observing as her detective continued the interview. If Anne really was the killer, she would need to play the good cop to his already blatant bad cop attitude.

"That's a long time to not speak to your spouse…" he scoffed, his tone lighting a fire in Anne Blakely's eyes.

"Don't judge me. Have you ever _personally_ known a CPA? It's tax season. With all the long hours he was working, I'm lucky I spoke to him at all."

Esposito eyed her for a moment, as if he was contemplating the wife's response, before he appeared to accept it and moved on. "Where were you earlier this morning?"

"Wait. _Where was I_? What are you trying to say, Detective?" She was already on the defensive. This wasn't good. There was no way they'd ever get anything useful from her at this rate.

"Detective Esposito is just trying to go through a timeline," Kate said, lifting her hand to motion toward him, trying to placate Anne. "It's standard procedure. We're sure you had nothing to do with it."

The woman's shoulders relaxed and she rested her forehead in her hands, before looking up and shaking her head with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Detective. I know you're just trying to do your job. It's been a long day."

"Understandably," Esposito said with a sharp nod.

"This morning I was still in Long Island at my parents' house."

"Your parents' house?" Kate asked, curiosity spiked by the information.

"Yes. My kids and I have been staying there for the last couple of weeks," she paused, her lips turning down in a frown. "Since I found out about Jake's affair."

Esposito looked at Kate, eyebrow arched, before looking back toward Anne. "So you knew?"

"Of course I knew," she said, a sad laugh slipping from her tongue. "He was never great at keeping secrets."

"So you were separated?"

Anne offered them a small nod as she squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears. "It was a _temporary_ thing. He promised he was done and wanted to make things right before the baby was born."

"And did he - make things right?" Kate asked, trying to hold onto her skeptical nature, but Anne's story seemed so genuine.

"He was _trying_ , but sometimes after the trust is broken, it takes more than half-hearted effort to fix things. It was a slow process with his stress from tax season, but I wanted us to be a family. And now…"

Mrs. Blakely's voice caught in her throat and the rest of her statement fell silent. They still had to check her alibi, but Kate felt for this woman. She was left to raise her kids alone with only the memory of a broken marriage left unrepaired.

Her mind continued to drift, completely engrossed in her own thoughts and away from the interview. She had very little in common with Blakely's wife and she couldn't be more grateful in that moment. Her marriage was far from perfect, and Castle had been getting under her skin lately, but he was truly a good man with a generous heart.

And right now, she couldn't ask for more.

* * *

The firm knock on the door pulled Castle from his thoughts. He was wracking his brain for an idea, _any idea_ that would be worthy, and every time he came up short. It was as if the more he dwelled on finding the perfect gift, the less he could think of anything even remotely acceptable. Pulling at the handle, he swung the door open to find Jim standing there with a sympathetic look on his face.

"You sounded panicked on the phone, Rick. How can I help?" he asked, walking into the loft, shrugging off his coat and draping it on one of the stools in the kitchen.

"I want to make tomorrow special for her. After everything we've been through this past year, it needs to be perfect." Castle balled his hands into fists at the memory, still so fresh, the images of her bleeding out on the floor where he currently stood.

Jim seemed to sense his uneasiness and moved to sit down on the couch in the living room. "It's just a trivial holiday, son."

Castle shrugged, joining his father-in-law, easing down next to him. "Maybe, but I like to make each holiday special for her."

"Katie loves you 365 days a year; she's not going to love you any less tomorrow if you get her the wrong colored long-stem roses."

"I wasn't going to get her roses..." Flowers were the last of his worries. Flowers were easy, but he still needed something more, a special something that would really make Valentine's day a day to remember.

"Good. She hates them," Jim said with a wink. "Always go with lilies."

"I do... and I will," Castle stammered. Damn, he was on edge today. Maybe a glass of scotch would help. Idiot, not in front of Jim. God, what was wrong with him today?

"I'm just teasing. You need to relax!" He was right. He really needed to relax.

"I know - I know, it's just making me a little crazy. She's been so hard to read lately. Normally she doesn't care about this sort of thing, but what if tomorrow is the one time she does and I drop the ball on the entire thing?"

Jim narrowed his eyes at him with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"How long have you known my daughter? Do you really think she'd ever find fault in anything you would do for her on Valentine's Day?"

He was losing it, and he was incredibly lucky that Jim was so understanding. Kate wouldn't divorce him if he didn't get her the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

"No. I know you're right. It's just - perhaps this whole pregnancy is making me a little crazy too."

Turning toward him, Jim leaned forward and took a deep breath. "Even as a child, Katie always appreciated gifts that were _sincere and real_. Nothing over the top."

"She has never wanted anything extravagant from me, even when we were first dating. I guess I just needed a reminder."

"Or a slight kick in the ass," Jim said nudging his arm. "Keep it simple, son. Stick with what you know about her."

"Stick with what I know," he repeated to himself, as the perfect idea flashed through his mind. "Jim, you're a genius. Thank you!" Castle clapped his father-in-law's back as his lips stretched into the first honest grin all day.

"You're welcome." The older man chuckled, standing up to grab his coat and walk toward the door. "It looks like you'll need to go to the store again."

"Just a couple phone calls hopefully. You don't need to leave so soon though, I'm sure Kate won't be long."

"Even more reason for me to go. I don't want to make her suspicious," he mused.

"It was nice seeing you, Jim." Castle offered him his hand and the elder gentleman reached forward to pull him into a fatherly hug.

He pulled away after the brief embrace and gave him a warm smile. "We should all have dinner soon."

"I'll make sure of it. Have a good night," Castle said, waving goodbye and shutting the door. He had hoped talking to Jim would give him an idea, and he completely lucked out. Looking down at his watch, he prayed it wasn't too late to pull this off.

Hopefully his antique dealer could perform a miracle.

* * *

"Castle?" Kate called, clicking the front door shut and toeing off her boots.

"In the kitchen." The aroma of spices filled the air, welcoming her home. Her mouth was already watering from his latest culinary creation.

"Whatever you're making smells wonderful."

"Just a little something I whipped up for the love of my life who just so happens to be growing our child." He offered her a smile, placing his spatula down against the countertop, freeing his hands to gently caress her hips.

"Sounds just slightly strange when you phrase it that way," she teased, cupping his cheek in her palm while leaning forward to press a kiss against his mouth. She pulled away slightly and rested her forehead on his with a hum, brushing his nose with hers. "Sorry for being so grumpy lately. You're too good to me."

"Nothing is ever too good for you," he said, placing a quick kiss to her temple. "Did the guys close their case while I was gone?"

"No." She shook her head, reaching for a spoon for a quick taste from the skillet. "Espo just texted me while I was in the elevator. Traffic cams confirmed the wife's alibi, so they're back to square one."

"So the wife really was just an innocent spouse." He turned back to tend to their dinner on the stovetop as she leaned against the cabinets. "It's sad really. She has to pick up the pieces of her life now that he's gone when he was too busy having his cake and eating it too while he was alive."

"Having his cake..." she repeated, low, before her eyes flashed open and a grin stretched across her lips.

"Do you want cake?" Castle asked with a short laugh, returning his attention to her as he slung his arms around her waist, her belly pressed against him.

"No," Kate paused, looking sheepish. "Well maybe, but not what I originally meant. I think I know who the killer is... Something someone said in the interview this morning. It didn't piece together in my mind until now."

"Are you going back to the precinct?"

"No. I'm home with my husband. I'll text Espo back and let him run with my hunch."

"Why Captain Beckett, I really like this delegating side of yours," he husked before brushing a kiss on her cheek.

"Perks of being captain. I plan to enjoy the evening with the handsome man in my life," she said, pinching his side.

"Someone else joining us?" he teased, so she tossed the hand towel from the countertop at his face.

"Last time I give you a compliment."


	5. Chapter 5

Morning.

Kate could feel the fresh rays of sun peeking through the wood slatted blinds that covered their window. Her alarm was set to go off any minute; her internal clock worked better than any digital version. However, just because she was awake, didn't mean she wanted to get up and out of bed. She craved the warm embrace of her husband's arms wrapped around her body, heating her skin with his touch.

A smile crept across her lips as she turned toward his side of the bed, seeking out, but she was met with cold sheets instead of heated flesh. Kate begrudgingly opened her eyes and propped her head against her hand as her groggy vision confirmed Castle was nowhere to be found. Turning to reach for her phone, she found a single white lily lying on her bedside table with a pink piece of folded paper propped against it. She picked the note up and toyed with it between her fingers before slowly unfolding.

 _This flower pales in comparison to your beauty...  
_ _Sorry I couldn't be here when you awoke. Hope the surprise in the kitchen makes up for it._

Kate pulled her bottom lip through her teeth and shook her head. Always the romantic, she thought with a smile. Slowly rolling over, she eased from the bed in search of what Castle had left for her. The smell of coffee brewing immediately washed over her senses, widening her upturned lips.

Nearing the coffee maker, she noticed another pink note rested against a filled travel mug.

 _Half-caf vanilla latte. As if I could leave you uncaffeinated on Valentine's Day. Breakfast is warming in the oven as well as a fruit plate cooling in the fridge._  
 _xoxo_

She reached for the cup and took a slow sip, her eyes fluttering shut from the taste. Castle had already gone through so much trouble for her today and the day had just begun.

* * *

Kate hadn't seen Castle all morning and was a bit disappointed to not see him at the precinct when she arrived for the day. Whatever errands had pulled him away must have been important, because she knew how much he loved celebrating each little Hallmark holiday with her.

And Valentine's Day was at the top of that list.

Her eyes scanned over to the interrogation room door as Esposito and Ryan emerged, with a uniform leading a man in handcuffs toward booking. Looked like her hunch last night was right.

"Craig confessed?" she asked, as her two detectives walked over to meet her.

"Yep. You were right about him," Ryan said with a quick nod, as the three of them moved together toward their desks.

Esposito propped against his own desk and handed her the file with Craig's statement. "Looks like he was obsessed with Tara, the woman Jake was having the affair with. Craig had pined over her for years and she never returned the affection. Yet when he found out that Jake was sleeping with her, seems like he cracked."

Kate hummed in agreement, flipping through the paperwork. "Jealousy will do that."

"It's kind of crazy that one woman could change the course of two men's lives," Ryan said as he glanced at the whiteboard, before moving to erase the timeline.

"Well, those men were equally responsible for their own poor decisions," Kate pointed out, handing the file back to Esposito.

Ryan paused to look back at her. "True, and she lost her job over the whole ordeal. When the bosses found out the details, she was fired over the company's no fraternization clause in their employment contracts."

"And now the victim's wife is left to pick up the pieces," Esposito grumbled, tossing the case file onto his desk.

"She seemed like a strong woman."

"She did. I have faith that she'll be okay. She's a mom," she murmured, rubbing her hand along her stomach. "She'll do what it takes to make sure her children are okay."

"I was raised by strong women. I can definitely account for that."

Kate offered Esposito a smile as she looked down at her father's watch.

"Wrap up the paperwork, boys, and you might just have an early night for Valentine's Day."

She patted Ryan and Esposito's backs on her way into her office. Closing a case was always bittersweet. Nothing would bring back the dead or make it necessarily easier for the lives left behind, but at least there was justice and if it offered the slightest bit of closure to the family left behind, it made it all worth it.

Shrugging off her coat and tossing it on her couch, she sighed when she noticed the stack of files on her desk that needed her attention. Her plans for tonight were motivation enough to work quickly through the paperwork. She needed to leave early to set up her surprise for Castle.

* * *

Stepping off of the elevator, Castle puffed out his chest from excitement. He had managed to track down the perfect gift for Kate without missing the holiday entirely. Though he would have enjoyed spending the day at the precinct with her, the look on her face when she opened the gift would be worth it. With a quick adjustment to the package in his hand along with the bouquet of flowers, he fished his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

The sight he was greeted with was unexpected to say the least.

Castle's beautiful pregnant wife was half on the couch, half on the floor, trying to fasten one of the laser tag vests. _Trying_ was the key word since it seemed difficult over her growing belly. She was adorable and stubborn, but the fight with the vest was a losing battle.

Kate startled at the sound of the front door closing, her face falling in defeat as she tucked her chin against her chest. "I wanted to surprise you with laser tag for Valentine's Day, show you that I could still be fun," she sighed. He offered her a small smile.

His heart broke at the words and he quickly set down the flowers and package to assist her onto the couch. Damn, he loved this woman even with her third trimester grouchiness.

"I know you're still fun, Kate," he said, easing the vest off of her chest. He helped her up to sit on the couch and he sank down beside her, brushing a kiss to her forehead.

"But I've been unbearable lately." Her chin dipped to her chest again, staring down at her hands. "Don't deny it, because even I've realized it's true."

Castle shook his head, refusing to let her continue down the path of self-deprecation. He guided her face up in his palm, seeking her gaze.

"You weren't last night," he countered, placing his other hand on her thigh, his thumb circling her patella. Kate rolled her eyes and scoffed at his defense. Two little mannerisms that warmed his heart as it reminded him of the early days in their partnership.

" _Castle_. It was only because I was trying really hard to not get annoyed," she grumbled. "I know I'm snapping more and more. I'm really trying not to because you don't deserve it - you're an amazing man, Rick..." He refused to let her continue and silenced her with a slow, gentle kiss, pulling her closer toward his chest.

"You're pretty amazing yourself, you know that?" Castle whispered, his lips not moving far from her skin. "You're carrying our child after recovering from _another_ shooting. Somehow you love me and I get to call you my wife on top of everything, so I'll take a little grumpiness here and there."

Kate leaned back, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as a grin stretched across her face.

"I love you," she murmured, trailing her fingertips against the stubble on his jawline.

"I love you, too and I love the thought behind your surprise, but why don't we wait until you're a bit more mobile again?" He chuckled and she nodded with a laugh. The sound of her joy fluttered in his chest.

Castle placed his hand along her cheek, leaning forward to dust another kiss against her lips. He tried to pull away to keep it chaste, but Kate deepened it.

"I like that idea," she hummed after they separated, resting her forehead along his cheek, not appearing to want to venture far before the position proved uncomfortable and she leaned back against the couch cushion. "So, where have you been all day? Thank you for the coffee and breakfast this morning. I would've preferred to have you instead."

* * *

Kate had meant the words to sound light, but as soon as they left her mouth, guilt etched in Castle's eyes and his expression turned apologetic.

"I know. I'm sorry. I would've loved to spend the day with you, but I had to meet with someone early so I could get you this," he said, reaching for her hand and lacing her fingers with his for a moment.

She quirked her eyebrow toward him as he released her hand and jumped up to grab the bouquet and gift from the counter in the kitchen.

He offered her the bouquet as he sank back onto the couch next to her. "The flowers are beautiful." She leaned forward to breathe in the scent of the lilies before setting them down to accept the other item in Castle's hands. "Thank you, but what's this?" she asked, eyeing the red and black wrapped box.

"It's not flashy and probably not the typical Castle Valentine's Day gift that you'd expect, but I was talking with your dad yesterday," he rambled. He was cute when he was nervous, but there was no reason to be, not over a Valentine's Day gift.

"You talked to my dad?" She arched her eyebrow at his guilty expression; apparently that bit of information was supposed to stay a secret.

"I did. He talked some sense into me." He chuckled, uncertainty still present in his tone as she started to unravel the ribbon adorning the box. "Your father reminded me that you've never been the type who wanted people taking care of you. I've known you long enough to know that, but I've been a little overzealous lately with wanting to be your knight in shining armor. Taking care of every last thing for you."

Kate reached forward and squeezed his hand, calming him with her touch. "I'm not a princess and I don't need a knight, just my partner."

"I know that, and talking with him reminded me of the story you told me about when you were little…"

Pulling the ribbon the rest of the way off, she continued and tore the paper from the box. The box itself was nondescript, but when she opened the simple cardboard she revealed a beautiful leather bound copy of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll.

"It's a collectible edition, not first edition, but I thought the illustrations were unique and I thought you'd appreciate the detail," he explained, carefully flipping the cover open to support his claim. "It's not the most romantic thing, but I figured I have a lifetime to romance you. I wanted to show that I believe in you and wanted to apologize for losing sight of the fact that you're not a damsel in distress. You're just like Alice and can take care of yourself."

Her heart fluttered from the sentiment. He actually remembered.

She had mentioned the book in a conversation they'd had years before. Back when their relationship was still so fresh and each bit of information shared with one another was new and exciting. She had told him about the nights when she was just learning to read and her mother would pull out an old tattered version of this book. They would stay up reading the stories for hours. As a child, she related to Alice and wanted adventures of her own one day. The fact that he would go through all of this trouble... it was the most thoughtful gift he could've given her today.

"It's perfect," she whispered, wrapping her arm around his neck and carding her fingers through the hair at the base of his skull. "Absolutely perfect." With little effort, Kate lowered his face to hers, relishing in the taste of his kiss.

Castle broke the kiss, surprise painted in his expression. "Really? Because if you'd rather jewelry or-" She silenced him with the brush of her fingertips against his lips.

"Really. We can read this to our little girl one day. Hopefully she'll love it as much as I did as a child."

"I'm sure she will, because she'll be just like her mother." He grinned, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "You sure you didn't want jewelry?"

She groaned and shook her head. "Castle, this holiday is so commercialized. But this?" She motioned to the book, lightly tracing the title engraved on the cover. "It's so much more. My favorite author, who just happens to be my wonderful husband, gave me a collectible version of my favorite childhood book. That in itself sounds like it belongs in a fairytale."

"Call me your favorite author again," he teased.

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a playful shove against his chest. "Now you're pushing your luck, Babe..."

* * *

 _Episode beta work by griever11, honeyandvodka, and the Castle Season 9 beta team._

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